Could it be the Christmas that forgot children? If the plans of major retailers for their festive window displays are anything to go by, it might just be.
Several have chosen to ditch red-nose reindeers and enchanting elves, in favour of peddling child-free, product-based opulence.
For decades, the Brown Thomas store in Grafton Street - formerly Switzers - made a childhood Christmas come alive with its annual window display of animated puppets, magical marionettes and sprinklings of magic Santa dust.
But not this year.
In its eight windows fronting onto Grafton Street are various scenes, including one of five very smartly dressed adults around a bull-dog, flagged as an example of what people who dress in Burberry clothing look like, and another of a woman at a cooker, dressed in a ballgown and carrying a Louis Vuitton hold-all.
There are three child mannequins among the luxury products though none looks like it's having much fun.
And to cap it all, there will be no Santa at Brown Thomas this year or at any of its four branches to be found around the State.
Asked why, the information desk spokesman in Dublin said "an alternative Santa" might appear on roller blades at BT2, further up Grafton Street, but because there were neither children's clothes nor toys at the main stores there was "no need for Santa".
Despite repeated attempts to speak to the window designers at Brown Thomas, the managing director, Mr Paul Kelly, and the marketing department, no-one was available to comment on the lack of child-like fun at the store this season.
Children are hardly seen, never mind heard, at Clerys, Arnotts, Dunnes Stores or Roches Stores, either. Clerys, on O'Connell Street, does have "a Santa service" and one of its windows is "devoted to toys".
The others, however, are "lifestyle windows", said a spokeswoman. While decorated with baubles and glitter, they are based around products for sale in-store. Clerys windows also have a few fairies with moving wings.
A spokeswoman for Arnotts, on Henry Street, conceded "there is no child-focus to the window display", though she added that "we do have lots of products suited to children, like clothes."
Mr Robert Ward, who is the marketing manager for Roches Stores, said the windows of its 12 stores did not "have anything devoted to children as such, but we do have lots of children's clothes and toys".
Dunnes Stores said there would be no child focus in its window displays. The Stephen's Green Centre, at the top of Grafton Street, however, has an animated Peter Pan scene, complete with Captain Hook and Tinkerbell.
Asked why he chose a children's theme, Mr Paul Brady, of Paul Brady Displays, who dressed the windows, replied: "Well, it's Christmas, what else would you use?"
